Waltham Residents Mourn Late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

WALTHAM, MA — Shortly after U.S. Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, dozens of Waltham residents gathered on the Waltham Common to honor the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court.

Ginsburg, a trailblazer, fierce advocate for woman rights and a tireless justice, died of complications of cancer at her home in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. She was 87 years old. The Waltham gathering was one of several across the state. In Waltham people stood on the Waltham Common, many holding signs that read "Thank You."

"I felt it was important to come together as a community particularly for those of us that are feeling discombobulated," said Nina Udwin, who organized the vigil. "It was a chance to be together in a non-political, secular way to help normalize our feelings of grief and sadness and to acknowledge that we may be feeling an added layer of confusion and complication on top of what is already a time of unprecedented uncertainty. I was moved by the number of folks that came together to share their feelings, most in silent solidarity."

One sign quoted the justice: "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn't be that women are the exception."

Although speakers stayed away from the political ramifications of the justice's vacancy, at least one sign read "honor her wish," referring to the justice's final wish to be replaced by a new president.

President Donald Trump and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have vowed to have a quick vote to fill the Supreme Court vacancy.

For much of Ginsburg's career on the Supreme Court she acted as a consensus-builder after she was appointed in 1993. But as the court moved more conservative with Justice John Paul Stevens' retirement, she led the court's liberal wing and became known for her pointed, powerful dissenting opinions earning her late in life celebrity status.

Ginsburg’s dissenting opinions attracted increasing attention in the past few years. At one point a law student named Shana Knizhnik dubbed her the "Notorious R.B.G.," a play on the name of a famous Brooklyn-born rapper. It hit a chord in pop culture and RBG's image complete with black judicial robe with lace collar and glasses have popped up on everything from socks to mugs and T-shirts.

During the Waltham vigil several took the megaphone to speak about the late justice, including Rev. Becky Sheble-Hall of Chaplains on the Way and Waltham's Dan Keleher.

"Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a towering force amongst us and the world is a better place for all the work that she achieved, particularly for the underserved, in her 87 years on this earth," Udwin told Patch.

Ginsburg spent some time in Greater Boston. In the 1950s, Ginsburg went to Harvard Law School, where she was one of only nine women in a class of 500. While there, she was first woman to make the Harvard Law Review.

Read more:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: MA Reacts To Supreme Court Justice's Death...

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